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“Now that I think about it, I’m not really sure,” Folara said “Mardena keeps to herself I think she blames herself, or thinks people blame her, for the boy’s arm”
“Some people do,” Marthona said, “and the boyaspirits with hi”
“And she always drags her boy around wherever she goes,” Folara said “I think she’s afraid the other boys will pick on hio anywhere alone They probably would I don’t think he has any friends She doesn’t give him any opportunities”
“I wondered about that,” Ayla said “She seemed very protective of him Too much, I think She thinks his crippled arest limitation is not his arm, it’s his row up sometime”
“Why did you pick him to throw a spear, Ayla? It seemed like you knew him,” Marthona asked
“Someone told him there were horses where we’re camped—the Upper Meadow, he called it—and he came to see the to get away from the crowd, or hisabout us ca the word for people to stay away from the horses Maybe the ‘soet in trouble if he ca for them But I don’t mind if people want to look, I just don’t want anybody thinking about hunting them They’re too used to people They wouldn’t know to run away,” Ayla explained
“So of course, you let Lanidar touch the horses, and he got all excited, just like everyone does,” Folara said, grinning
Ayla smiled back “Well, et to know them, they’ll know they are special and won’t be tempted to hunt them”
“You are probably right,” Marthona said
“The horses seeht away, so I asked Lanidar if he would check on the horses when I’ht object,” Ayla said
“Nota son ill soon be able to count twelve years learn more about horses, or any animal,” Marthona said
“That ht he was a nine-ordeo because he couldn’t throw a spear He see with his left arm, and I had my spear-throithto Mardena, I knohere he got the idea, but at his years he should be learning so berries with his mother” Ayla looked at both women “There are so many people here, you can’t know all of them How do you know Lanidar and his mother?”
“Any ti with him like that, everybody hears about it,” Marthona said, “and they talk about it Not necessarily in a bad way They just wonder why it happened, and hope nothing like that ever happens to any of their children So, of course, everyone knehen the man of his hearth left Most people think it was because he was embarrassed to call Lanidar the son of his hearth, but I think at least part of it was Mardena She didn’t want anybody to see the baby, not even her ot very protective of him”
“That’s his problem, she still is When I told her that I asked him to check on the horses when I’ for so he couldn’t do I just want soetover tomorrow, so I can try to persuade her that the horses won’t hurt him And I’ve promised to teach him to hunt, or at least to throw a spear I’m not sure how it all happened, but so to learn, the more determined I became to teach him”
Both wo